Two layers of electrified, barbed wire, with armed guards to keep a colony secure. Colonialism has never actually ended

  • SerLava [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Hilarious how the Spanish are pissed about Gibraltar while having the same fucking thing on the exact other side.

      • camaron28 [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Because they are completely different issues. Melilla and Ceuta have been spanish for 500 years and are normal cities.

        Meanwhile Gibraltar is a tax haven, a resort for old brits and a tool used by Great Britain to dominate the Mediterranean sea.

          • camaron28 [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Are they tax havens? Do the people there not have spanish citizenship?

              • camaron28 [he/him]
                ·
                4 years ago

                WTF, who the hell "accepted" those atrocities? I literally say in this thread that those have to go.

                • Gayan [undecided]
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  then why the fuck are you calling it normal? In this thread it appears you are defending european territory in Africa, as the most assholish of europeans do. Your colonialist country and its oversees territories deserve nothing but spite for what it did in the past and continues to do in the present.

                  • camaron28 [he/him]
                    ·
                    4 years ago

                    That "european territory in Africa" has been spanish for 500 years. Why do you want to ignore the will of the people living there?

                    Hell, i hate when yanks complain about stuff they have just discovered.

                    • Gayan [undecided]
                      ·
                      edit-2
                      4 years ago

                      The will of the people living there is keeping up those monstrous walls, dumbass. Fuck your first worlder imperialist desires.

                      Imagine pretending to be a leftist defending one of the filthiest colonialist nations, lmao.

                      I'm latino btw, I know personally the horrors your people brought 500 years ago.

                      • camaron28 [he/him]
                        ·
                        4 years ago

                        Lmao what.

                        FIrst of, imagine claiming that the people of Melilla are responsible for the wall and not our central government. Do you believe Melilla is a white ethnostate or something?

                        Second of, "my people" stayed here, go tell that to YOUR ancerstors and leave me alone. Also, imagine blaming some sitty peasant for colonialism and not the royal family.

                        Third of, being latino is worth shit when discussing Africa. Either learn about the topic at hand or fuck off.

                        • Gayan [undecided]
                          ·
                          edit-2
                          4 years ago

                          Your "peasant" ass seems privileged enough to blab and defend your overlord's actions and land dominance, and then mocking a latino for the rapists that delivered spoils to the place you benefit from. For someone that pretends to be so smart you really lack the historical knowledge.

                          You stayed there while pushing others to do your dirty work abroad, exactly like its done in the border of Melilla. Or do you really believe people of Melilla oppose those wall while wanting to be spanish, as you can divine?

                          I've never imagined seeing in this website anyone stupid enough to defend the sovereignty of a Spanish colony just becuase its 500 years old. Either learn about the the horrors your people still cause or fuck off and stop defending it.

                          But please, keep calling the opinion of latinos shit while on the other side of the stick. Someday those walls will fall and you may not be so lucky.

                          • camaron28 [he/him]
                            ·
                            4 years ago

                            Lmao what.

                            It's insane how someone can imagine someone else's reply and then answer that insted of the real one. Truly amazing.

                            Yeah, i really benefit from all the wars our kings did in the past that were used to fund more wars and a few swiss banks. Why complain about current western colonialism when i can complain about 500 years ago? Why talk about the FMI or the current problems facing SA when i can focus on a small patch of spanish territory?

                            Truly amazing how someone can find out about something and then, instead of reflect, proceeds to insult the person talking about context.

                            • Gayan [undecided]
                              ·
                              edit-2
                              4 years ago

                              Interesting, do you really believe that your first world status isn't privileged and waranted to the abuse you commited to other nations for centuries and continue to commit nowadays?

                              Or do you believe that the Spanish people are just magically more wealthy today because of their inherent virtue? And if you do, isn't it even worse to think that white nations are rich just because of their heritage?

                              Why complain about current western colonialism when i can complain about 500 years ago?

                              Is your white ass physically incapable of accepting you benefit from the exploitation your nation did so long ago, suffering no consequences for it whatsoever while still clutching some of those lands? You should be ashamed for hoarding it for so long, not proud of it!

                              Why talk about the FMI or the current problems facing SA when i can focus on a small patch of spanish territory?

                              Are you talking to yourself? Because you seem really horny about defending that piece of land for unbeknownst reasons.

                            • NeverGoOutside [any]
                              ·
                              edit-2
                              4 years ago

                              How about the Africans who die every year trying to get across your apartheid wall because they don’t have the luck and privilege of being born on the side of the fence that covers European citizenship???

                              • camaron28 [he/him]
                                ·
                                4 years ago

                                I literally just said that the wall should be removed.

                                  • camaron28 [he/him]
                                    ·
                                    4 years ago

                                    No?

                                    Go and find me the Melilla independentist movement. Go

                                    • Gayan [undecided]
                                      ·
                                      4 years ago

                                      There's no return on searching for that group. Could you link any sources? And if it is a movement that wants independency, then why do you defend for it to remain non-independent?

                                      • camaron28 [he/him]
                                        ·
                                        4 years ago

                                        Yes. Because AS I SAID: IT DOESN'T EXIST.

                                        THE ONLY ONES TALKING ABOUT INDEPENDENCE ARE YANKS IN THIS FUCKING THREAD.

                                        • Gayan [undecided]
                                          ·
                                          edit-2
                                          4 years ago

                                          So there is no movement there against those walls? Sounds like Melilla has to go

                                          • camaron28 [he/him]
                                            ·
                                            4 years ago

                                            YES, FUCKING YES. AS I SAID, EVERY FUCKING LEFTIST WANTS THEM GONE.

                                            Also: Melilla =/= those walls. If the wall in Mexico disappears would the US be gone?

                                            • Gayan [undecided]
                                              ·
                                              4 years ago

                                              You do realize that there are movements in the US against the Wall? Please show me any group in Melilla that wants those walls gone.

                                              • camaron28 [he/him]
                                                ·
                                                4 years ago

                                                AAAAAGGGGGGHHHH

                                                EVERY FUCKING LEFTIST. EVERYONE. EVERY SINGLE ONE

                                                • Gayan [undecided]
                                                  ·
                                                  edit-2
                                                  4 years ago

                                                  Could you even call yourself a leftist living in a colony in Africa with those freaking walls?

                                                  You still fail to show me any group in Melilla that oppose those walls. Please, show me the "leftists" in Melilla.

                                                  • camaron28 [he/him]
                                                    ·
                                                    4 years ago

                                                    EVERY FUCKING LEFTIST. HOLY SHIT, READ ABOUT OUR POLITICAL PARTIES OR FUCK OFF.

                                                    • Gayan [undecided]
                                                      ·
                                                      4 years ago

                                                      Show me one leftist party movement in Melilla or fuck off colonizer.

                                                      • camaron28 [he/him]
                                                        ·
                                                        4 years ago

                                                        AAAAAGGGGG

                                                        Podemos, the PCTE, the PCPE, the PCE, IU...

                                                        ALL THE SPANISH LEFTIST PARTIES. HOLY SHIT, YOU KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

                                                        • Gayan [undecided]
                                                          ·
                                                          4 years ago

                                                          could you please show me their statements over Melilla?

                                                          • camaron28 [he/him]
                                                            ·
                                                            4 years ago

                                                            Look them up yourself, fucking idiot. Do you also want a handjob? Fuck off.

                                                            • Gayan [undecided]
                                                              ·
                                                              4 years ago

                                                              Lmao, you know they don't exist. Colonizer leftists are really a joke.

                          • camaron28 [he/him]
                            ·
                            4 years ago

                            Either justify your response (or don't, because you clearly know nothing about them) or fuck off.

          • camaron28 [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Nah, that's the sahara, you know, the place currently occupied by Morocco where they are murdering tons of people after invading it in the 70s.

      • SerLava [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I don't think they're mad about the tax haven, I think they're mad about the territorial incursion.

        • camaron28 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          What incursion? It has been there for 500 years and neither Morocco or Spain existed back then.

          • NeverGoOutside [any]
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            It should be part of Morocco. Duh.

            When your fortress enclave gets questioned and you’re like “but it’s been there for so long!” Fucking lol.

            • camaron28 [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              Lmao, why.

              Yeah sure, let's give them two cities that have been spanish for 500 years to the country currently occupying the Sahara and murdering everyone there.

              • Gayan [undecided]
                ·
                4 years ago

                Stop saying 500 years like its a reasonable argument. THE COLONIAL PERIOD WAS 500 YEARS AGO COLONIZER TRASH. Its a terrible argument in defense of european ownership of African land.

                • camaron28 [he/him]
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  Oh, now i see, so the whole argument was indeed "map look nice".

                • camaron28 [he/him]
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  Oh, now i see, so the whole argument was indeed "map look nice".

                  • Gayan [undecided]
                    ·
                    4 years ago

                    Ah, yes, minimizing the damages of european colonialization to "making the map ugly" is very fitting for a dumbass like you.

                    • camaron28 [he/him]
                      ·
                      4 years ago

                      Ahora ya sé como se sentía Sancho Panza cuando lo de los molinos. Dios mío, que turra.

                        • camaron28 [he/him]
                          ·
                          4 years ago

                          Lmao, terrible spanish. Obvious tank is obvious. Literally no one talks like that. Shit, extremely obvious google translation.

                          • Gayan [undecided]
                            ·
                            4 years ago

                            Keep crying, my latino spanish is more relevant than european nowadays, white trash.

                              • Gayan [undecided]
                                ·
                                4 years ago

                                lol, you literally talk like a stereotype of yourself. Is Don Quijote the only book you've ever read? Sure looks like it.

          • SerLava [he/him]
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            The Spanish exclave cities have been both casus belli and staging grounds for colonial wars on Morocco. Melilla was just a garrison until the Hispano-Moroccan war of 1860 after which they rapidly built a city.

            The whole point of owning territory there is to control Mediterranean shipping, not to have a laugh on the beach.

            • camaron28 [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              Sure, as i said, it's a city, not a resort. Comparing it with all those turist cities for white people in third world countries is disingenous.

              • SerLava [he/him]
                ·
                4 years ago

                Ok but you get what Gibraltar is for? It's so they could shoot boats right? Same idea there, just a bit earlier. Gibraltar has a city too, I can put a city anywhere. Jamestown was a city.

                    • camaron28 [he/him]
                      ·
                      4 years ago

                      ?¿?¿?¿?¿?

                      You just compared them, what's your point?

                      • SerLava [he/him]
                        ·
                        edit-2
                        4 years ago

                        Gibraltar also being a tax haven is just completely irrelevant, it wasn't established so they could have a stupid tax haven, it was established to shoot boats and extract wealth from the Mediterranean, you keep saying it's a tax haven,

                        and wait a minute

                        https://tax-free.today/blog/setting-company-in-spain

                        the Spanish government has granted them 50% tax exemption, both for commercial companies and personal assets. In other words, if you manage a company in the Spanish enclaves, you’ll only pay half of the usual corporate tax and income tax.

                        https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/spain/corporate/tax-credits-and-incentives

                        50% tax credit on CIT levied on income obtained in Ceuta and Melilla through companies established and carrying on activities in these enclaves during a full business cycle because of their specific geographic location.

                        :cringe: they're even tax havens lmao

                      • Gayan [undecided]
                        ·
                        4 years ago

                        Being a tax haven while pissing off the spanish is so much better than having a colony within pits of barbed wire and eletric fences in african soil conquered during the colonial period.

  • DirtbagVegan [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    What the fuck? Today I learned that Spain holds two cities on the African Mainland. Totally fucked.

    • star_wraith [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      Tbh honest I find the whole topic of countries owning little enclaves in other countries to be fascinating. Still evil, but also fascinating. Like you can even see in the map in the post how the UK holds on to a tiny little bit of Spain.

      • SoyViking [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Enclaves makes maps more fun. I especially love that city on the Dutch-Belgiam border where there are like 20 different tiny enclaves because back in the middle ages different feudal lords owned different fields.

        • star_wraith [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Yep, reminds me of how along the Mississippi River there are parts of states on the "wrong" side of the river because the river has changed course over the years, as rivers are know to do. There's even a town in Illinois (Kaskaskia) that's on the west bank of the Mississippi, so it's completely cut off from the rest of the state and can only be accessed via Missouri.

          • duck [he/him,they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Point roberts is my favourite US one, it's next to Vancouver and you have to go through Canada to get there. There's also "the north-west angle"

        • RedDawn [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          I like how what could be sort of argued as the birthplace of modern Germany is now a little enclave of Russia completely separate from the rest of Russia.

      • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Uk also has bits of... a lot of places. also in cyprus as well, if we are just talking Europe/mediterranean.

    • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      They also own the Canaries, islands off the west coast of Africa. Hell, they owned a huge chunk of Morocco for a while too.

      colonialism is a fuck

      • RedDawn [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Well, the "huge chunk of Morocco" that they owned is actually what now is referred to as Western Sahara, and Morocco's own claim to it is somewhat dubious since the Sahrawis claim indepence. But it is mostly under Moroccan control now.

        • camaron28 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Tons of people who have just found out about these cities talking about "giving them back to Morocco".

          Holy shit, you can't just "give back" someone that was never their's (while ignoring what the people from those cities say).

          Also, first Morocco should recognize the indepent Sahara. A movement that actually does exist and has been fighting for 50 years.

          • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            well if they're gonna recognize Western Sahara, they should also recognize the Rif hahaha

        • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          yes, western Sahara, but also the Rif (northern region) was also part of the spanish protectorate, and where Franco would get some of his soldiers from. The Rif is also dealing with their own shit with the Moroccan govt too regarding the Hirak.

    • opposide [none/use name]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      They actually make Morocco do most of the patrolling in exchange for trade opportunities with the EU :agony-acid:

      They recreated marches as border states

      • jabrd [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Perhaps imperialism truly is the highest stage of capitalism :thinkin-lenin:

        • opposide [none/use name]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 years ago

          The EU makes Turkey do the same. While they destroyed Syria and then refused refugees, they made Turkey take refugees in exchange for trade opportunities.

          The European nations complained about taking a few thousand refugees. Turkey took in literal millions

      • SoyViking [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        European liberals doesn't like to see the violent practicalities of enforcing the border, so instead of doing it themselves, they outsource it.

      • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Harsha Walia talks about this outsourcing of security in her recent book Border and Rule

        • opposide [none/use name]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 years ago

          A vassal state on the edge of an empire that basically guards the frontier to protect the empire’s heartland.

  • star_wraith [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    What possible benefit is there to Spain to still hold on to Cueta and Melilla? If you're a leftist they represent vestiges of imperialism and should be given back to Morocco. If you're a reactionary you probably really want Spain to give them back to Morocco because they are major points-of-entry for refugees from Africa. There's probably something material I'm missing here.

    • Mardoniush [she/her]
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      A couple of reasons. They provide a partial counterweight to naval control of Gibraltar by the UK, the local population strongly opposes their integration with Morocco. They're major oil ports. Basically they're profitable, so the libs want to keep them.

      For reactionaries, they're artifacts of the end of the Reconquista and Morocco has no claim because there was no Morocco, heck, there wasn't even the Ottomans in the area. Cetua's initial conquest (by Portugal, I think) actually predates the conquest of the final Muslim kingdom, and Melilla only post-dates by 5 years, so some revanchist debatelord might call them anti-colonial possessions and be wrong, but at least interestingly wrong.

      • camaron28 [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Also, they have been spanish for like 400 years. Talking about "giving it back" to Morocco is insane. Hell, technicaly they predate Spain since most historians put the creation of the modern kingdom of Spain in the early XVIII century.

        So no, this is not a HK or Puerto Rico situation. I guess it's a "bad look" to have a small city in a separate continent but that's just what it is.

        The barbed wire should be removed thought. Fuck the government who put it there and all the ones who haven't removed it.

        • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          most historians put the creation of the modern kingdom of Spain in the early XVIII century

          Due to the War of Spanish Succession? I've usually seen it dated to the late 15th century, around the unification of Castile and Aragon and the completion of the Reconquista. The latter also corresponds with the beginning of a worldwide Spanish Empire.

          We should have a thread sometime about leftist takes on who has legitimate claims to where, and why. It's not just about large states arguing over who owns what enclave, either -- who's to say when a city or region can legitimately break away from a larger state?

          • camaron28 [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            If i remember correctly it's due to all the legal stuff Philip V did.

          • NeverGoOutside [any]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Everywhere should be as autonomous as possible. —the anarchists

    • camaron28 [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Should they be given if the population wants to stay spanish and Morocco hasn't really said anything about it?

      • star_wraith [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Hmmm... I just assumed Melilla was like a military base but wikipedia says there's 86k people who live there, so admittedly more complicated than I assumed.

      • Soleimani [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Morocco wants them back.

        My understanding is that the populace itself is largely Spanish Catholics, but they're still dependant on Moroccan labor, but I haven't looked at it too much.

      • Sen_Jen [they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Should Northern Ireland be given back to the Republic if they want to stay British and the Republic hasn't really said anything about it?

        • camaron28 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago
          1. I'm spanish, that's why i can talk about Spain. My opinions about Ireland will obviously be lacking and i don't know why the should matter at all.

          2. Let the northern irish decide for themselves.

          • Sen_Jen [they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Northern Ireland has been thoroughly colonized by the British. It was established in such a way that it would be large enough to make the unionists dominant. Letting the northern Irish decide whether to remain British or Irish will lead to them choosing British, because many are the descendants of British colonisers and still benefit from British colonialism today.

            So why should a colonising population be allowed to decide which state they belong to? Would it be fair for the American settlers to decide whether the land they conquered was native or American? Why should the colonisers be allowed to decide the fate of the colonised people's country?

            • camaron28 [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              As i fucking said. I know about Spain, not NI.

              Literally no one outside of this thread (filled with people who have just find out these cities exist) wants Melilla and Ceuta to join Morocco. Not the spanish leftists, not the people from the cities themselves, and not Morocco.

              Hell, listen to what the locals say instead of trying to bring anglo politics into everything.

              • Gayan [undecided]
                ·
                edit-2
                4 years ago

                Its almost like you are ignoring the will of the people of Morocco who very visibly want to go in there, but citing Morocco's government will as if somehow legitimate.

                The same government that hunts down those attempting to jump over those butchery walls with valleys of barbed wire, to keep the economic relationship of their elites with Spain.

                Also you aren't a local of Melilla or Morocco, you were just born in one of the most vile colonialist empires this world has ever witnessed, and for unknown reason isn't ashamed of its terrible history. Your opinion on African land obtained during the colonialist period shouldn't be considered.

                  • Gayan [undecided]
                    ·
                    4 years ago

                    When you cite Morocco, do you mean the people or the government?

                      • Gayan [undecided]
                        ·
                        4 years ago

                        and not Morocco

                        Why do you falsely state that the people of Morocco don't want to go in that area, when they very visibly do?

                          • Gayan [undecided]
                            ·
                            edit-2
                            4 years ago

                            great argument. Good to know you oppose the will of the people of Morocco, but stand by what their government does.

                            You are the template colonizer spanish.

                            • camaron28 [he/him]
                              ·
                              4 years ago

                              WTF

                              No, the people of Morocco don't want Melilla, fucking idiot.

              • NeverGoOutside [any]
                ·
                4 years ago

                “The locals” aka the people residing in the privileged, heavily fortified zones excluding millions of people? Haha sure. Let’s listen to what the Israeli sellers have to say about Palestine too!

                • camaron28 [he/him]
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  Lmao, priviledged???

                  Holy shit, you didn't have to prove that you have never heard of those cities. They are among the poorest regions of Spain. DId you think they were like HK or what?

                  Pathetic, read something before wildly commenting.

                  • NeverGoOutside [any]
                    ·
                    4 years ago

                    Which side of the border is Ceuta and Melilla on? The side people are trying to get in to or get out of????

  • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    When I was doing my fieldwork, I made sure to go to both Ceuta and Melilla.

    for Ceuta I crossed on foot from Tangier, but for Melilla I just flew in and out, and even that was a little messy with my visa issues.

    it was strange, Melilla was like... dead? there just weren't that many people out doing anything. They also had like the last statue of Franco if that means anything.... also some nice art deco/old architecture that you don't really see in other places.

    Ceuta was basically like any small 'european' mediterranean city. pretty fully 'europeanized' whereas Melilla still felt a lot more like Morocco in terms of architecture and the vibe and what languages you would hear and all that.

    as an aside: if you read Border and Rule by Harsha Walia, she has a section, albeit not super detailed, about this border, but in general about the externalization/outsourcing of border security to non-european countries.

  • Chomsky [comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I have a relative that went to Morocco for 2 weeks and argued with me that that place didn't exist about a week after I had read a 300 page book about it. Finally I got so annoyed I handed her the book and she just glared at me and shut up. She's a massive lib and the worst.

  • SoyViking [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Secure = Free from desperate black people trying to flee conditions that slowly kill them.

    • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      How is this representative of social democracy, as opposed to a vestige of a literal empire or literal fascism?

  • duck [he/him,they/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    https://youtu.be/LY_Yiu2U2Ts vox (yeah I watch vox I know) has a good video where you see how it looks and how they cross. It's of course the only way to walk into the EU from Africa so that's why it's a popular destination. Mayotte (french territory east of mainland Africa) has a similar thing with Comoros which is in the same archipelago

  • emizeko [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I remember something a few years ago where big mobs of refugees were breaching the walls

  • NeverGoOutside [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I’ve been there. It’s disgusting. Spain is gross for this shit.

    • camaron28 [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I've read your comments about it and you clearly haven't. Otherwise you wouldn't be calling one of the poorest regions of Spain "priviledged".

          • NeverGoOutside [any]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Yes, the Africa that Ceuta and Melilla are a part of, despite being governed by a European government. You are so deeply propagandized, you cannot see the similarities between the enclaves and Israeli settlements.

            • camaron28 [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              If your sole reason is "map look nice" you can fuckk off. You have not given a single reason for it. Imagine ignoring the will of the people of Ceuta and Melilla. Fuck off with your white saviour complex.

      • Gayan [undecided]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Imagine defending first world countries over third world countries and thinking you are a leftist. You are the worst of white trash.

        • camaron28 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Oh cool. Go defend Boko Haram and ISIS and leave me alone.

          • Gayan [undecided]
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            Damn, did the spanish left and all your "international community" friends take down ISIS?

            You guys must be so competent and totally not a fucking joke of a colonialist nation. First worlders are such heroes.